Trump warns Cuba: 'Zero oil and money' if it doesn't make a deal with the US. “All their income came from Venezuela”

US President Donald Trump issued a warning to Cuba on Sunday, suggesting the country should strike a deal with Washington amid regional tensions and an economic crisis affecting Havana.

The Trump administration is putting pressure on the region. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, that “no more oil or money will reach Cuba – zero!” and urged Cuban leaders to make a pact with the US “before it's too late”.

He emphasized Cuba's historical dependence on economic and energy support from Venezuela, saying the nation has lived “years of vast amounts of Venezuelan oil and money.”

The statements come amid increasing pressure from the Trump administration in the region following a series of actions against the Venezuelan government and the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by US forces. Trump has previously suggested that a military intervention in Cuba is unnecessary, saying the island is “ready to fall” due to lack of income and external support.

“I don't know if they will last, but Cuba now has no income.” he added. “All their income came from Venezuela, from Venezuelan oil,” he explained.

US intelligence has painted a grim picture of the economic and political situation in Cuba, but its assessments clearly do not support Trump's prediction that the island is “ready to fall,” Reuters reported on Saturday, citing three people familiar with the confidential assessments.

The CIA believes that key sectors of the Cuban economy, such as agriculture and tourism, are severely affected by frequent power outages, trade sanctions and other issues. The potential loss of oil imports and other forms of support from Venezuela, a key ally for decades, could make it harder for the administration that has ruled Cuba since Fidel Castro led the revolution in 1959 to govern.

For Cuba, the loss of Venezuelan oil is devastating.